Find out how popular the last name Nesby is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Nesby.

Nesby, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Nesby surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nesby in America

Nesby is the 28023rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nesby surname appeared 855 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Nesby.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nesby to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Nesby

The surname NESBY is of English origin, believed to have emerged in the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "nesu" meaning nose or promontory, and "by" referring to a settlement or village. This suggests the name may have been a toponymic one, given to someone who lived near a prominent geographical feature resembling a nose.

Early records indicate the name was concentrated in the county of Yorkshire, particularly in the West Riding region. It is possible the name originated as a descriptor for settlers who inhabited areas near notable promontories or hill formations resembling noses.

One of the earliest known references to the surname can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where a William Nesby is listed as a landowner in the village of Burley, West Yorkshire. This document provides evidence of the name's existence during the medieval period.

In the 16th century, the name appeared in various spellings such as Nesbie, Nesbey, and Nesbith, reflecting the inconsistencies in written records at the time. A notable bearer of the name was John Nesby (c. 1520-1592), a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of York.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, a Captain Thomas Nesby (1612-1679) served in the Parliamentarian army and was present at several key battles, including Marston Moor in 1644.

The 18th century saw the rise of Samuel Nesby (1738-1814), a renowned clockmaker from Halifax, whose intricate timepieces were highly sought after by the gentry of the time.

In the literary world, the poet and playwright William Nesby (1770-1853) gained recognition for his works depicting the lives of the working class in industrial Yorkshire.

As the surname spread beyond its Yorkshire origins, notable bearers emerged in other parts of England, such as the architect Sir Charles Nesby (1812-1879), known for his design of several prominent London landmarks.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nesby

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Nesby.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Nesby was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Nesby has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Nesby was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Nesby, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!